Charging on: UAH launches official fundraising campaign for hockey program

The main image on UAH's recently launched fundraising page for Charger hockey.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The comeback effort for University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey took an official step forward today as the school's website launched a page dedicated to generating funds to secure "stable financial operations" with a primary goal of conference affiliation.

The school announced Dec. 6 that it would seek to revive the program it planned to shutter following the current season. The support of new university president Robert Altenkirch allowed the Oct. 24 decision by interim president Malcolm Portera to be revisited, breathing life into the school's lone Division I program.

The page - found at uah.edu/2012hockeycampaign - features a letter by the hockey program's most famous alumnus, Jared Ross, detailing the new push to raise funds.

"The UAH administration is committed to do what it takes to make this a reality and aggressively pursue conference entry," Ross stated in the letter. "With that being said, it is time for alumni and friends of the university to live up to our side of the agreement by showing our support through our actions, and to lead our program into this new era."

The bottom of the letter provides a link where donations can be made via check or credit card.

"Dr. Altenkirch has taken an outstanding leadership role in his support of making NCAA hockey work," said Nathan Bowen, a Charger hockey alumnus and leader in the Save UAH Hockey group. "UAH's administration has been extremely easy to work with. There are a lot of people helping out to get things going, and there's a lot of planning being done to ensure the program is being set up for long-term viability."

University representative Ray Garner said the school is planning a news conference in early January, at which point further details - including campaign goals - will be announced.

"The university is fully committed to working with Nathan Bowen and this group of alumni and friends to put the university's hockey program on solid footing," Garner said. "We are looking forward to generating recurring financial support from the community for our Division 1 program."